Good footage. Right passport. Right level. Wrong professional standards. Here is what happened.
The hardest conversations I have are the ones where I tell a player I cannot work with them. Not because they lack talent (sometimes they have genuine talent) but because something else is not in place.
The Situation
A player I was working with early on had genuine technical quality. Good footage. Right profile. Passport situation sorted. On paper, exactly the kind of player I could place.
The problem became apparent in the first three weeks. Missing recovery sessions. Arriving late to training. Disappearing on weekends without informing anyone. His output dropped week by week. The coach was patient. I was patient. We had multiple conversations.
The Conversation
What became clear was that his professional compliance was running at around sixty percent. Sixty percent of what the environment required, using the other forty percent on things that were incompatible with what he was supposed to be building.
I told him directly: I cannot ask a coach to give more minutes to a player whose professional behaviour is this inconsistent. A coach selects players they can trust. Trust is built through consistent professional behaviour, not through talent alone.
We parted ways. He went home early.
What This Story Is About
The technical standard in Spain is high. The professional standard, the commitment to everything around the football, is equally non-negotiable. Players who treat the non-football elements as optional are making that choice at the expense of the football itself.
The clubs I work with have trusted relationships with NXT Footballer because the players I send are professionals. That trust is the foundation of every placement. One player who undermines it affects every future player.
WHAT PROFESSIONAL COMPLIANCE MEANS IN PRACTICE
Training attendance: Every session. No exceptions without prior notification.
Recovery sessions: Mandatory, this is where injuries are prevented
Curfew and schedule: The club’s rules, not your preference
Communication: Tell someone if something changes, always
Attitude: Consistent. In training, in games, in the dressing room.
The standard: 100%, not the percentage you decide is enough
The Bottom Line
I can open the door. You have to be professional enough to stay in the room.
The starting point for any player we work with is an honest evaluation. Submit yours at nxtfootballer.com/evaluate.
Ben Faulkner, NXT Footballer SL
